Image data such as CT scans and MRI scans have been used to build three-dimensional displays, and three-dimensional models in order to assist physicians prior to surgery. A series of serial section images are correlated to build the three-dimensional display or the three-dimensional model. The conventional process for generating such a display or model consists of providing the data points which make up the series of serial section images to a CAD/CAM system, whereby an operator at the CAD/CAM system, reviews all the data points present in the series and determines which ones are necessary to generate the desired display or model. The operator disposes of the data points which are not on the boundary of the object of interest or which are redundant to defining the geometry of the object. A routine serial section study consists of 40 images with each image made up of 512.times.512 voxels. The number of data points present in a series of serial section images is greater than 10,000,000 and these 10,000,000 data points are displayed on a three-dimensional display screen. It is incumbent upon the operator to select the correct data points which define the geometry of the object in question by selecting some of the data points and connecting them in three-dimensional space. This process requires intensive interaction with the set of data points, and is a tedious and inaccurate process which may take weeks to complete. The present application, however, solves this problem by providing an apparatus and method for automatically translating the graphic information of the original series of serial section images into vector data wherein the unnecessary vector data is filtered out, and the necessary vector data is correctly correlated so as to build the three-dimensional geometrical model of the object of interest.